Featured Visitor: “I Couldn’t Have Asked For A Better Birthday Present”
Was it a car? A diamond ring? A trip around the world?
Nope! For Jackie Witts last birthday, her fiancé, Jim Tegtmeier, his children, Jackie’s sister & brother in law, and her daughter and her family, presented Jackie with a check for $1,000 – for Best Friends Animal Society. Not only was there the check, but she had the opportunity to come out with Jim, her daughter, son in law and grandson, to Best Friends to be able to give us the check in person. Three generations of animal lovers on a birthday outing, could things be better?
Jackie first heard about Best Friends from her daughter, Michelle, about 10 years ago. Jackie was so impressed that she became a member of Best Friends. Then, about five years ago, Jim & his children were having a family reunion in Las Vegas, and Jackie thought “what a perfect time to make a visit to Best Friends.” Jackie invited her sister, Jeannie Patchin on the trip, who extended the invitation to her husbands secretary, Joanne Frank, and the four of them made their initial visit to Best Friends. (On an interesting side note, Joanne came back with her daughter, Jennifer Hayes, on a volunteer vacation, which has turned into an annual trip over Mothers Day – and this last year, Jennifer became one of the writers for Best Friends!)
While Jackie and her family were here on her birthday trip, they went on a tour, volunteered, and to Jackies grandsons delight, had a sleepover dog. Chandler, who is 8, and his parents were paired with a female lab mix named Brittany, from “Old Friends”. As Jackie wrote “She was so sweet and endeared herself to all of us. She is soon to become the newest member of our family and will shortly move to Tulsa to reside with my daughter and her family. We are looking forward to visiting and spoiling our new “Granddog”.”
Jackie said it was “the best birthday present I could ever receive – a gift for the animals.” Jackie – and your extended family & family to be –a HUGE Happy Birthday from all the animals at Best Friends! I’m sure Brittany is singing the loudest in her new furever home.
Written by Jennifer JohnsonPhoto by Sue Francesconi